Midnight Run

Jack Walsh, an ex-cop now working as a bounty hunter, gets a job: bring accountant Jonathan Mardukas, who stole from the mob and gave the money away, back to New York. The man will not fly, so the trip crosses the country. It is Robert De Niro's first comedy. After The Untouchables he wanted something away from the gangster image, and had gone after the lead in Penny Marshall's Big before the studio chose Tom Hanks. Getting Charles Grodin cast was not easy. Paramount resisted, suggesting the character be made a woman and even that Cher play it to add sexual tension. When Martin Brest refused, the studio proposed pairing De Niro with Robin Williams, who auditioned eagerly, and Bruce Willis was raised too. Brest made up his mind watching Grodin's chemistry with De Niro, Paramount pulled out, and the film moved to Universal, where Casey Silver, who had worked with Brest on Beverly Hills Cop, was central to the deal. On a 30 million dollar budget it grossed 81.6 million worldwide. Rotten Tomatoes sits at 95 percent and CinemaScore audiences gave it an A. Roger Ebert gave it three and a half stars and noted how rare it is for a thriller to end on a scene of genuinely moving intimacy. Who it is for: viewers who like road movies and comedies about two men wearing each other down into affection. Who it is not for: anyone wanting pace. It runs 126 minutes with a few unnecessary chases in the middle.